LMIGHTY God, the fountain of all wisdom, A who knowest our necessities before we

ask, and our ignorance in asking; We beseech thee to have compassion upon our infirmities; and those things, which for our unworthiness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask, vouchsafe to give us, for the worthiness of thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

LMIGHTY God, who hast promised to hear

A the petitions of those who ask in thy Son's

Name; We beseech thee mercifully to incline thine ears to us who have now made our prayers and supplications unto thee; and grant, that those things which we have faithfully asked according to thy will, may effectually be obtained, to the relief of our necessity, and to the setting forth of thy glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Upon the Sundays and other Holy Days (if there be no Sermon or Communion) shall be said all that is appointed at the Communion, unto the end of the Gospel, concluding with the Blessing.

And if any of the consecrated Bread and Wine remain after the Communion, it shall not be carried out of the Church; but the Minister and other Communicants shall, immedi. ately after the Blessing, reverently eat and drink the same.

THE MINISTRATION OF

PUBLIC BAPTISM OF INFANTS,

TO BE USED IN THE CHURCH.

The People are to be admonished, that it is most convenient that Baptism should not be administered but upon Sundays and other Holy Days, or Prayer Days. Nevertheless (if necessity so require) Baptism may be adminis tered upon any other day.

There shall be for every Male-child to be baptized, when they can be had, two Godfathers and one Godmother; and for every Female, one Godfather and two Godmothers; and Parents shall be admitted as Sponsors, if it be lesired. |

When there are children to be baptized, the Parents or Sponsors shall give knowledge thereof, before the beginning of Morning Prayer, to the Minister. And then the Godfathers and Godmothers, and the People with the Children, must be ready at the Font, either immediately after the last Lesson at Morning Prayer, or else immediately after the last Lesson at Evening Prayer, as the Minister by his dis cretion shall appoint. And the Minister coming to the Font, (which is then to be filled with pure Water,) and standing there, shall say,

HATH this Child been already baptized, or no? If they answer, No: then shall the Minister proceed, as followeth.

beloved, forasmuch as all men

conceived and born in sin; and our Saviour Christ saith, None can enter into the kingdom of God, except he be regenerate and born anew of water and of the Holy Ghost; I beseech you to call upon God the Father, through our Lord Jesus Christ that of his bounteous mercy, he will grant to this Child that which by nature he cannot have; that he may be baptized with Water and the Holy Ghost, and received into Christ's holy Church, and be made a living member of the same.

Then shall the Minister say,

Let us pray.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who of

thy great mercy didst save Noah and his family in the ark from perishing by water; and also didst safely lead the children of Israel thy people through the Red Sea, figuring thereby thy holy Baptism; and by the Baptism of thy well-beloved Son Jesus Christ in the river Jordan, didst sanctify Water to the mystical washing away of sin; We beseech thee, for thine infinite mercies, that thou wilt mercifully look upon this Child; wash him and sanctify him with the Holy Ghost; that he, being delivered from thy wrath, may be received into the ark of Christ's

Church; and being steadfast in faith, joyful through hope, and rooted in charity, may so pass the waves of this troublesome world, that finally he may come to the land of everlasting life, there to reign with thee, world without end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

¶ Or this.

LMIGHTY and immortal God, the aid of all

for succour, the life of those who believe, and the resurrection of the dead; We call upon thee for this Infant, that he, coming to thy holy Baptism, receive remission of sin, by spiritual regenemay ration. Receive him, O Lord, as thou hast promised by thy well-beloved Son, saying, Ask, and ye shall have; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. So give now unto us who ask; let us who seek, find; open the gate unto us who knock; that this Infant may enjoy the everlasting benediction of thy heavenly washing, and may come to the eternal kingdoin which thou hast promised by Christ our Lord. Amen.

Then the Minister shall say as follows: or else shall pass on to the questions addressed to the Sponsors; and from thence to the Prayer immediately before the Immersion, or the pouring of water on the infant. But note; that, in every church, the intermediate parts of the Service shall be used, once at least in every month (if there be a baptism) for the better instructing of the People in the Grounds of Infant Baptism.

Hear the words of the Gospel, written by St. Mark, in the tenth Chapter, at the thirteenth Verse.

The should touch them; and his disciples

HEY brought young children to Christ, that

rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said

unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter herein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

After the Gospel is read, the Minister shall make this brief Exhortation upon the words of the Gospel.

BE

ELOVED, ye hear in this Gospel the words of our Saviour Christ, that he commanded the children to be brought unto him; how he blamed those who would have kept them from him; how he exhorteth all men to follow their innocency. Ye perceive how, by his outward gesture and deed, he declared his good will toward them; for he embraced them in his arms, he laid his hands upon them, and blessed them. Doubt ye not therefore, but earnestly believe, that he will likewise favourably receive this present Infant; that he will embrace him with the arms of his mercy; that he will give unto him the blessing of eternal life, and make him partaker of his everlasting kingdom. Wherefore, we being thus persuaded of the good will of our heavenly Father towards this Infant, declared by his Son Jesus Christ; and nothing doubting but that he favourably alloweth this charitable work of ours in bringing this Infant to his holy Baptism; let us faithfully and devoutly give thanks unto him, and say,

LMIGHTY and everlasting God, heavenly A Father, we give the humble thanks, that

thou hast vouchsafed to call us to the knowledge of thy grace, and faith in thee: Increase this knowledge, and confirm this faith in us evermore. Give thy Holy Spirit to this Infant, that he

may be born again, and be made an heir of everlasting salvation; through our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

Then shall the Minister speak unto the Godfathers and Godmothers in this wise.

EARLY beloved, ye have brought this Child here to be baptized; ye have prayed that! our Lord Jesus Christ would vouchsafe to receive him, to release him from sin, to sanctify him | with the Holy Ghost, to give him the kingdom j of heaven, and everlasting life. Ye have heard also that our Lord Jesus Christ hath promised in his Gospel to grant all these things that ye have prayed for: which promise he, for his part, will most surely keep and perform. Wherefore, after this promise made by Christ, this Infant must also faithfully, for his part, promise by you that are his sureties (until he come of age to take it upon himself) that he will renounce the devil and all his works, and constantly believe God's holy Word, and obediently keep his commandments.

The Minister shall then demand of the Sponsors as follows: the questions being considered as addressed to them severally, and the answers to be made accordingly.

I demand therefore,

OST thou, in the name of this Child, renounce the devil and all his works, the vain pomp and glory of the world, with all covetous desires of the same, and the sinful desires of the flesh, so that thou wilt not follow, nor be led by them?

Answer. I renounce them all; and, by God's help, will endeavour not to follow, nor be led by them.

Minister. Dost thou believe all the Articles